Sanitising and disinfecting soap or cleaning compositions are of great benefit to individuals, since proper use generally may reduce the number of germs and pathogens the individual is exposed to. Thus, such compositions and methods involving such compositions may for instance play an important role in reducing the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases.
Sanitising and disinfecting soap compositions comprising chlorine-based antimicrobial agents such as triclosan are known. Such compositions require a rather long contact time to provide efficacious antimicrobial action. In practice, users, in particular children, do not spend a long time on cleansing and as a result cleaning with such compositions does not provide adequate prevention from surface or topical infection or adequate protection against diseases. The user, in spite of cleaning his hands, is generally likely to end up with relatively inadequate bacterial removal from his skin. Therefore, he may cause contamination of further animate and/or inanimate surfaces, and contribute to the spreading of pathogens and consequent diseases. Users in general and children in particular who wash contaminated hands before meals with slow-acting antimicrobial compositions for relatively short time are at risk of contracting diseases.
Similarly in the area of hard surface cleaning, e.g. cleaning of floors, table tops or utensils, the antimicrobial actives in the compositions are in contact with the substrate for less than a few minutes after which the surface is either wiped off or rinsed with water. These short time scales of cleaning action are ineffective in providing the desired benefit since most known antimicrobials commonly used in such products take many minutes to hours to provide the desired kill of microbes.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a method involving a composition that—upon application—provides relatively more efficacious antimicrobial action during a relatively short cleaning period, preferably about 30 seconds or less, and more preferably about 15 seconds or less.
A well-established class of antimicrobially active compounds are phenolic compounds [P A Goddard and K A McCue in “Disinfection, Sterilisation and Preservation”, ed, S S Block 5th edition, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2001 pp, 255-282]. However, not every phenolic compound is suitable as an antimicrobial agent. Moreover, many phenols—even if they are antimicrobially active—may exhibit undesirable side-effects, such as corrosiveness, malodour and irritating or sensitising effects when applied on the human or animal skin.
A particular problem of thymol is that its presence in a formulation is generally well-perceptible due to its olfactory properties. Although the latter may—at least to some extent—be appreciated in certain fragrance compositions, it is considered too intense by some users when applied at concentrations efficacious in rapid disinfection. Additionally, a lower concentration of odoriferous compounds including thymol or the availability of antimicrobial compounds that are less or not odoriferous allows greater flexibility to the manufacturer in providing alternative scents to his composition at lower doses. Hence there is a need to provide alternative antimicrobial compositions and methods that preferably require lower concentrations of thymol and/or have a more acceptable sensory profile.
WO 2010/046238 A1 describes an effective antimicrobial composition which provides rapid kill of pathogenic bacteria and which comprises 0.01 to 5% by weight of thymol, 0.01 to 5% by weight of terpineol and a carrier. WO 2010/046238 A1 also discloses a method for rapidly disinfecting a surface including the step of applying the above composition to the surface.
WO 06/053458 is directed at providing bactericidal formulations containing perfume ingredients that have a rapid bactericidal effect against Gram-negative and preferably also against Gram-positive bacteria and a method for providing these formulations. The document discloses a formulation comprising (a) at least 0.2% (w/v) of one or more selected perfume ingredients, (b) 4% to 20% (w/v) of a hydrotrope and (c) 0.1% to 9% (w/v) of one or more selected surfactants. It also discloses that certain perfume ingredients have a rapid (30 s) bactericidal effect on gram-negative bacteria.
FR 2 697 133 discloses biocidal and/or biostatic compositions, comprising mono-oxygenated sesquiterpenes of general formula C15HxO, wherein x is between 20 and 26 and aromatic compounds.
WO 01/79409 discloses a process of disinfecting a hard surface with a composition comprising cinnamon oil and/or an active thereof. Preferably, the composition comprises a ternary essential oil and/or active thereof system consisting of cinnamon oil and/or an active thereof, a first additional essential oil and/or active thereof, preferably thymol; and a second additional essential oil and/or active thereof, preferably geraniol.
WO 2008/035101 discloses a disinfectant emulsion composition having a continuous phase having dissolved therein a first antimicrobial agent and a discontinuous phase having dissolved therein a second antimicrobial agent. A method of cleansing the hands of a human subject with the emulsion is also disclosed.
Despite the general availability of antimicrobial compounds, compositions, and methods, there remains a continuous need to find alternative antimicrobial methods, and compositions and/or active compounds that are suitable for use in such methods, In particular, alternative methods providing fast antimicrobial action remain highly desirable in view of current consumer habits. In case such alternatives are based on alternative compositions, they may reduce the dependency on current raw materials. Moreover, in the field of antimicrobials, the availability of alternatives may reduce the risk of development of microbial resistance or insensitivity to particular antimicrobial compounds.
In addition, there is a continued need to reduce the total amount of active ingredients required in such an antimicrobial composition for use in an antimicrobial method. This need may for instance be driven by the desire for cost-efficiency, because such compositions are particularly relevant to developing countries. Moreover, reducing the amounts may also be beneficial for environmental reasons. In view of the above-observed problems and drawbacks of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for sanitising and/or disinfecting, in particular of surfaces.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method for disinfection with a reduced disinfection time. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a method, wherein the disinfection time of the method is less than 300 seconds, preferably less than 60 seconds, and more preferably less than 15 seconds.
In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for disinfection that gives improved disinfection during cleansing of surfaces, in particular hard surfaces, or surfaces of the human body; such as the skin and the oral cavity.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for disinfection requiring an antimicrobial composition involving a lower dose of antimicrobial compounds.
Similarly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for disinfection requiring an antimicrobial composition in which the olfactory contribution of the antimicrobially active compounds is reduced or in which the active compound contributes to providing a consumer-acceptable or even consumer-appreciated scent.